Money Scenarios
Real financial questions, answered with a real calculator — how much house you can afford, what a windfall turns into, whether renting or buying wins. Every number here comes straight from the tool it links to.
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How much house can I afford on £45,000 a year?
Affordability isn't just "3x your salary" — lenders weigh your existing debts, down payment, and the going interest rate together.
See the answer🏠 Mortgage & HomeHow much house can I afford on £30,000 a year?
At this income, the down payment and existing debt matter just as much as the paycheck itself.
See the answer🏠 Mortgage & HomeHow much house can I afford on £60,000 a year?
A bigger paycheck raises the ceiling, but the down payment and rate still decide the real number.
See the answer🏠 Mortgage & HomeHow much house can I afford on £90,000 a year?
At this level, DTI usually stops being the constraint — the down payment and rate take over as the real limits.
See the answer🏠 Mortgage & HomeHow much house can I afford on £120,000 a year?
A high income raises the ceiling a lot — but lenders still cap the loan against the down payment and rate, not just the paycheck.
See the answer🏠 Mortgage & HomeWhat's the monthly payment on a £290,000 home?
The sale price is only the start — taxes and insurance usually add a few hundred a month on top of principal and interest.
See the answer🏠 Mortgage & HomeHow much do I save paying an extra £150 a month on my mortgage?
A modest extra payment, kept up consistently, can shave years off a 30-year mortgage.
See the answer🏠 Mortgage & HomeIs it cheaper to rent or buy if staying put 7 years?
The answer flips on the holding period — buying wins over the long run, but renting-and-investing the difference can win over a short one.
See the answer💰 Savings GoalsHow big should my emergency fund be on £3,000 a month?
The right target is 3-6 months of essential spending, not savings — the two are usually very different numbers.
See the answer💳 Loans & DebtHow long to pay off £5,000 in credit card debt?
At a typical card APR, minimum payments alone can take a decade — a fixed extra payment changes that dramatically.
See the answer💰 Savings GoalsHow much to save monthly for a £40,000 down payment in 5 years?
Compounding does some of the work for you — the monthly target is lower than just dividing the goal by the months.
See the answer📈 Investment & WealthWhat does investing £400 a month for 30 years turn into?
Most of the final balance ends up being growth, not the money actually put in — that's the entire point of starting early.
See the answer📈 Investment & WealthWhat does investing £200 a month for 30 years turn into?
Even a modest, consistent amount compounds into something real over three decades — starting matters more than the size of the first contribution.
See the answer📈 Investment & WealthWhat does investing £800 a month for 30 years turn into?
Doubling the monthly contribution doesn't just double the final balance — the extra amount compounds for just as many years as the first dollar did.
See the answer📈 Investment & WealthWhat does investing £1,600 a month for 30 years turn into?
At this level, the math starts producing genuinely life-changing numbers — the same compounding, just with more fuel behind it.
See the answer📈 Investment & WealthShould I invest a £8,000 windfall at once or spread it out?
Historically, investing it all immediately wins more often than not — time in the market usually beats timing the market.
See the answer🏖️ Retirement PlanningWill £600,000 be enough to retire on?
It depends entirely on what income that balance needs to replace — the number alone doesn't answer the question.
See the answer💵 Salary & PayWhat's my actual take-home pay on £45,000?
Income Tax and National Insurance are calculated separately, and both come off the same paycheck.
See the answer🏠 Mortgage & HomeHow much Stamp Duty will I pay on a £350,000 home?
SDLT is charged in bands, like income tax — only the slice of the price inside each band is taxed at that band's rate.
See the answer